A Visage of Acrimony
by SnowYuri
Summary: War is on the horizon, but everyone is facing west. The queen of Freljord, continues to seek peace with the neighboring tribes. The Grand General of Noxus struggles to maintain the city-state's reputation. The criminal turned officer meets someone with a little more violence on her mind, and The Exile quests for redemption. All while forces stir on an island shrouded in darkness.
1. Chapter 1

"We have allies, they do not," Darius said as he relaxed in the wooden chair.

"Strength does not lie in numbers, Darius. You of all people should know that," Swain replied as he paced the room in thought.

"So Grand General tell me, where does strength lie?" Darius asked.

The large wooden doors leading into the council chamber swung open and Draven entered. "How would he know?" Draven asked as he took a bite out of an apple. He swallowed before speaking again, "Look at him he can't even walk properly."

Swain shot Draven a look but said nothing.

"Now remind me brother, I seem to have forgotten, how many lands have you taken?" Darius asked with a smirk on his face.

Draven smiled as he stood and began running his fingers along the grooves of the massive wooden map before him. "I assure you more than he has since he became Grand General. Do you remember those seventeen villages along the Icathia coastline?"

"Villages," Swain chuckled, "villages populated with peasants wielding shovels and pitchforks, what a challenge it must've been."

Draven sat back down, defeated, and continued eating his apple.

Darius turned back to Swain, "Grand General as you know I am no stranger to war, but these schemes-"

"Strategies," Swain interrupted.

"My apologies, these strategies you have will not be granted by the institute."

Swain stood in front of one of the large windows overlooking the city. Beatrice moved closer to Swain and seemed to whisper something into his ear. "Who do you serve?" Swain asked.

Confused, Darius said, "Grand General I-"

"Who do you serve?"

"Noxus," Darius said.

"Noxus," Swain repeated," not the Institute of War." An unsettling silence fell over the room as Swain watched the citizens of Noxus go about their daily lives. Merchants shouted why their sales were better than others. Children ran through the streets sparring with toy swords. In the distance the ranks of the Noxian army marched in the large fields just outside the city with the Ironspike Mountains at their backs. Then he saw himself. Beatrice remained still as well. "I will not have you abandon this city like that girl."

"Grand General, you were the one to even suggest the chemist to launch noxious gas at the ranks she was leading and you cost us hundreds," Darius reminded Swain.

"She abandoned her home. And you will not blame this on me, it was for the sake of the city," Swain said, a trace of vexation in his voice. "I did what had to be done. Had I not they would have- "

"Grand General," a voice called out.

Swain turned to see a tall beautiful girl standing at the entrance of the chamber, "Ms. Ryker"

"You are needed in the observatory. Something concerning a possible new threat," Ryker said.

Swain nodded, "I will be there as soon as possible." Ryker bowed and left.

"She seems exciting. How come I haven't met her before?" Darius said.

"I could use some excitement," Draven stated as he quickly ran after her. Darius laughed.

Once more a lull swallowed the room.

"Darius you are here because we share the same vision," Swain said. "You once said 'A united Noxus could rule the world."

"And would deserve to," Darius finished. "And it does but, we will not achieve that by taking our men and women for granted. The men and women who swore to defend this  
great city with their lives. The men and women who pledged fealty to you."

Swain remained silent.

"You do realize the Institute would never place the dominion of Valoran as a prize over a fistfight in the Fields," Darius said.

Swain moved toward the map in the center of the room. He grabbed a wooden piece representing a large portion of the Noxian army and moved it to a location where even the thought of it made him shiver.

* * *

Any and all feedback is appreciated! This chapter was originally posted by me on the official League of Legends forums prior to it being archived. I decided to continue it, but it needed to be moved. I hope this isn't an issue. The original still exists should you want to look at it. There are minor changes from the original, but the story remains the same. Chapter two should be coming along shortly!


	2. Chapter 2

The queen of Freljord wondered how anyone could eat that much. Djargus, the Fist of Freljord, seemed to inhale the contents of his plate. As he chewed, bits and pieces flew from his mouth and into his thick brown beard or onto the table before him. Iliana, Ashe's squire, sat beside the young queen with her face buried in a thick leather bound book. "Here," Iliana said, pointing to something on the page, "the Lonely Alley."

Ashe slid the book closer and examined the page. "No, no, that passage has been abandoned for decades. It's worthless," Ashe said. Iliana slid the book back and continued reading.

Djargus slammed his tankard onto the table. "Steward! More beer!"

"Must you yell?" Ashe asked.

"Difficult to ignore, isn't it?" Djargus smiled, showing bits of meat stuck in his teeth. Ashe rolled her eyes. A young scrawny man came from behind Ashe's large wooden chair and poured a foamy brown liquid into Djargus' cup. "We've got more men, hell, even some of her followers came to your coronation. Why not attack head first? It'll show your fearless."

"There's a difference between fearlessness and stupidity. Sejuani is a person with a brain who can think. Plus my ideal plan is to not have to fight her. Words are just as meaningful as wars."

"Yeah, but only half as fun."

At the end of the hall, the massive doors that stretched to the ceiling bearing the ice blue bow of the Avarosan clan, groaned as they moved. Ashe and Iliana both raised their heads. Djargus still focused on his feast. In stepped two men, both clad in silver and blue plate. They together carried a large burlap sack. Ashe stood. "Captain Pax."

The captain of the guard breathed heavily. "Lady Ashe, I bring bad tidings."

"Speak."

"One of our patrols discovered a village south of here being attacked," the captain said. "Men, women, children, dead everywhere. Buildings were on fire, our men outnumbered. There were too many."

Djargus stopped chewing and looked up. "The Claw?" he asked, pieces of meat sent flying as he spoke. He stood. He was a hulk of a man, his muscles looked as if they were trying every moment to tear from his skin. His gaunt face looked intensely at the captain. "That damn swine riding bi-"

"It wasn't the Claw," Pax said.

"Enough the with the suspense," the queen of Freljord said. The two guards heaved the sack onto the table where it landed with a thud. Iliana stepped forward and lifted a corner of the burlap, peeking inside of it. Her eyes went slightly wide and she gagged, moving to the other end of the table, seeking safety behind her queen. The queen stepped forward and ripped the bag from the table. Iliana's eyes went wider and she turned away, gagging more. "What are they doing this far north?"

"Steward, get this food away from me," Djargus said, staring at the table.

Its grey-green leathery skin was covered in boils and warts. Its tufts of coarse maroon hair reeked of sweat and aged meat. Crooked yellow teeth pressed against its gums and the cracked nails on its fingers were colored like spoiled milk. In its hand, covered in blood and snow, was a wooden club.

* * *

A shorter chapter but it serves its purpose and it serves it well (I hope)! Chapter 3 should be up soon, just needs a few changes.


	3. Chapter 3

Vi pounded down the streets of Piltover. "In pursuit," she said into her earpiece.

On a roof, running parallel to her, Caitlyn watched Vi run, knocking over anything and everything that found its unfortunate spot in her path. Caitlyn tried to keep up. "We need him alive. Don't get too rowdy."

Vi smiled, "I'll try." She heard Caitlyn sigh. Vi laughed. She focused on the runner. He was skinny, agile, and fast. But she was faster. And where she lacked in agility, she made up for in destruction. He slid under a wooden beam then bounced off of the walls of buildings on either side of him and vaulted over a brick wall. Vi leapt over the beam, raised her fist and plowed through the brick, leaving a trail of dust behind her. She glanced down at her gauntlets and saw a sort of clock ticking towards a small red mark.

_Twenty three seconds._

Caitlyn leapt from roof top to roof top, waiting for the right opportunity to put the runner in her sights. She looked ahead and saw the Piltover Day Parade fast approaching. "Vi, you need to hurry up. The parade is just ahead."

"I'm trying."

_Fourteen seconds._

Thousands of people marched down the street. The Piltover Day Parade was nothing short of extravagant with its massive hextech floats and confetti shooting robots. Thousands of shiny balloons bearing the crest of Piltover flew high above.

"Almost got 'em, almost got 'em, almost got 'em," Vi whispered to herself. She glanced down again.

_Eleven seconds._

Caitlyn pressed on her ear piece. "What? What are you saying? Vi, I can't understand you, speak up.

Vi ignored Caitlyn's voice. "Almost," she whispered again.

_Eight seconds._

Caitlyn dropped on one knee and closed her left eye, peering into her scope. "Vi, he's getting to close to the parade, I'm gonna knock him down. Stop running, if I miss I don't wanna-"

Again, Vi ignored her. "Almost got 'em."

_Two seconds._

Caitlyn put her finger on the trigger. "Vi, stop chasing him."

Vi's gauntlets depressurized and released steam. She waited a moment and…_Beep! _ A small red light on the side of the gauntlet glowed. "Booyah." She ran faster, her shoes digging into the stone street, kicking up small showers of debris.

The runner felt something grab at his chest.

Through her scope, Caitlyn watched and knew what came next.

Vi and the runner went into the air together. For a moment she saw a grin on Vi's face, and the terror on the criminal's. Then they returned to the earth with a crash, immediately but briefly shrouded by a splash of stone and dust. When it settled, there the runner lay, three feet into the ground, half a grave, and over him stood the Piltover Enforcer. Her pink hair blowing with the light breeze as she looked down at her latest catch. "Did you say something about 'missing'?"

"Nobody's perfect. I told you not to get rowdy," Caitlyn said.

Vi laughed. "You think this is rowdy? Ooooh you got a lot to learn."

The Piltover Ordinance of Ubiquity and Neutralization, or POUND, was located in the northern center of the city. The building, in the shape of a cog lying flat on the earth, consisted of eight floors and near eight thousand offices.

Vi and Caitlyn stepped into a conference room where they found Lockheed, the case manager of their sub-unit. "I trust you two had fun," Lockheed said.

Vi scraped the floor as she pulled the chair out from under the steel table. She sat and kicked her feet up onto the surface. "Plenty." Caitlyn sat beside her and focused all of her attention on Lockheed.

"Well, I'm sure this next case will keep you entertained as well."

Vi drummed her fingers on her chair. She'd always thought Lockheed was boring, not just him but this room too. There were no windows and all the walls were white and bare except for a small bulletin board at the other end of the room. Lockheed kept talking, but Vi didn't listen. Her eyes wandered around the room looking for something to occupy herself with. Nothing.

"This includes one homicide, two petty thefts," Lockheed said. Vi spotted something. "Four counts of fraud." To Vi, Lockheed's voice seemed to get quieter with every word. There was something on the bulletin board. Vi squinted her eyes and made out the words: WANTED. She leaned forward and could see there was a picture of someone followed by another block of text. She stood up and slowly walked forward. Under the picture read: Murder, Unprovoked Assault, Disturbing the Peace, followed by at least fifteen other offenses. Then she looked at the picture, part of her wished she hadn't. It was a picture of a girl with pale skin and pink eyes. Her hair was blue, straight in the front but braided in the back. Around her neck tightly wrapped was a necklace with a bullet hanging from it. Her eyebrows were raised high, but the thing that made Vi feel the most uneasy, was her huge grin.

Vi pointed to the picture and turned to Lockheed and her partner. "Who's this joker?"

* * *

This one was pretty fun to write so I hope you enjoy it!


	4. Chapter 4

"You can't do anything with that sword! I don't even think you can call somethin' like that a sword."

Riven's eyes raised towards the plump pig of a man before her. The man was not wrong, the sword she displayed was not fit for any fighting. Or so he thought. "I'm asking for just one fight."

"No, absolutely not, this company is for genuine fighters only. Now move, you're holding up the line." The man pushed Riven to the side with his meaty arm.

She slid back in front of him, the man's face went from impatience to confusion. Riven spoke through her teeth now, "All I'm asking is for one fight-"

"The prince approaches!" someone called out. The fat man looked up over Riven's shoulder. Riven turned to see the heads of everyone in line turn to the back of the camp.

On horseback, the prince of Demacia towered over everyone in the camp. He was flanked by two guards on smaller horses. "Josef, what is the meaning of this? The line is backed up a near quarter mile out of the camp."

The fat man waddled towards the prince and bowed. "My apologies, my lord, an unruly participant is all, nothing to get worked up over."

Riven raised her hood and began walking towards entrance of the camp.

The prince eye'd the line of would-be fighters. "Which one?"

The fat man turned back to the line. He looked at the front, "Uhhhh." His eyes traced towards the back. He pointed. "There she is, that one there."

"You, in the brown cloak, stop."

Riven kept moving.

"By order of the king, I command you to halt!"

The guards could hear the anger in his voice.

Still Riven kept moving, only a few yards from the entrance.

"Stop her!"

The guards obeyed, both horses moved faster. The guards unsheathed their steel in unison and leaned forward. The guard on the right raised his sword. Riven whipped around, sword in hand, and caught the guard's blade with hers. She pulled down hard, the guard flipped forward and off the horse. The guard on the left kept forward, stunned. Riven put her sword on her back.

"Impressive," a voice said. Riven turned to find nothing between her and the prince. He slid off the horse and landed with a thud. He was tall, closer to seven feet than six. Riven wondered if those large golden plate boots of his had anything to do with his stature. He moved forward. "What's your name?" the prince asked, pointing at Riven with his lance.

"Does it matter?" Riven responded.

"In my kingdom it does."

"Your kingdom? I fail to recall the death of your father."

"He lives."

"Then your father's kingdom."

"A prince is only a step away from king," Jarvan said, smiling.

"A prince is only a step away from dying."

The prince stopped, only a few feet separating him from Riven. His smile faded. He looked down and saw her sword unsheathed and about to touch his breastplate. There were a few audible gasps from the line. He stared down at her and her up at him.

"How dare you threaten the-"

"It's quite alright, Josef. Let her fight, I'm anxious to watch," Jarvan said, never breaking eye contact. The prince looked up. "How are you not back on your horse yet?"

The young guard stood up and adjusted his helmet. "Sorry, sir."

The prince mounted his horse and turned to the crowd once more. "Find her a suitable opponent, Josef, such an audacious one deserves someone fearless to match."

Josef bowed, "Of course."

The prince, flanked by his guards, made their way out of the camp.

"Next!"

The line moved forward, a man stepped up next. Riven started walking.

"I'll fight her," a deep voice said. Riven stopped and turned. It was the man next in line. Riven noted their similar height and wondered how she had not noticed him before. His long brown hair tied back in a sort of ponytail, his azure garments covering his legs and right shoulder, and his long thin sword kept in a sheath with a similar color to his leggings. He looked back and saw Riven looking back. Their eyes found each other. His face was gaunt, but his eyes were gentle.

"Alright, take out your weapon, let's have a look," Josef said.

The man unsheathed his sword in one swift motion and Riven felt wind brush her hair from her face.

* * *

Hello everyone! I know this chapter took quite awhile but I finally finished! The next chapters should be coming out more frequently. I know these first few chapters are quite short in length but this is only the beginning! And as always, any and all feedback is appreciated and happy reading!


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